DC Prime: Earth-23
by Prime Fiction
Summary: Part of the DC Prime Multiverse: The Man of Steel is in the White House as Earth-23 brings us Calvin Ellis, our President Superman and his Justice League as they deal with a foe who threatens countless generations of the Superman Legacy.
1. Chapter 1

**Earth-23 #1**

**By Calvin Burrell**

* * *

**_Washington D.C._**

President Calvin Ellis walked up to a podium with microphones on top and the Seal of the President of the United States on the front. Cameras broadcasted the image across TV networks and the internet to millions of viewers. Above him, the sun shone down from a clear sky on the scene taking place just outside the White House. Before him sat the nation and the world's top reporters, including a certain Pulitzer Prize winner from the Daily Planet in Metropolis. Her gaze was both intense and eager as the president began to speak.

"My fellow Americans, I stand before you today to announce another addition to the growing Alliance of Nations. After lengthy discussions with President Harrat, Qurac has joined has joined Atlantis, Markovia, Themyscira and countless others as one of our nation's trusted allies. This represents another step towards a future of international collaboration and true world peace. Peace, not just for our generation, but for our children, and our children's children. The greatest accomplishment we as a people can make, the greatest legacy we can leave behind, is a world that we can truly take pride in. A world that believes in the responsibility of every individual, and every leader, to do what they can for the greater good. A world of safety, of security and above all else, a world of uni-"

The president's speech was cut off by an abrupt rumbling sound. The ground shook and President Ellis held onto the podium for stability. There were shouts of confusion that turned into cries of panic as massive plant vines burst out of the ground around the White House. A few of them grabbed reporters, security staff, ambassadors and anyone who happened to be close. A secret service team surrounded the president as a much larger and thicker vine dug its way out of the ground. The end of the vine looked like a massive mutated Venus fly trap. Its jaws opened and venomous green ooze dripped out. Atop the plant creature's head, a woman with red hair and an outfit that appeared to be made of leaves and plant material sat seductively. Even those who didn't live in Gotham recognized her as Poison Ivy, who had been on the run with her new partner.

"Safety, Mr. President? Security?" Poison Ivy spoke from her perch but her voice could be heard well, as if she spoke through the plants themselves. "You talk about safety and security for _your_ children, but what about my babies? What about the precious plant life lost when a rain forest is cut down? Or when everything from a mighty tree to the tiniest sapling is ripped from its roots to build a gaudy shopping mall? What about _their_ safety? Who speaks for them!?"

The secret service team tried to get President Ellis back inside the White House and to the panic room inside. As they got close the door, a woman kicked it open from the other side. She wore a red and black checkered costume and had clown-like face paint with blonde pigtails that would have looked cute if not for the massive hammer in her hands that had suspicious-looking stains on the head. She was Poison Ivy's new partner, Harley Quinn.

"Why don'tcha stick around, Prez? Plant lady's great at givin' speeches!" Harley said with a laugh. She rested the hammer on her shoulder while blocking the door. The secret service team drew their guns but Harley just shook her head.

"Mistah Hammer doesn't like it when ya point guns at me. Now he's gotta teach you guys a lesson!" Harley taunted the team before swinging the hammer with surprising speed. The closest agent was struck in the face. His glasses shattered and there was a spray of blood as he went down. The next agent was hit in the chest which knocked the air out of them and rendered them unconscious.

"See, he's got a **problem** with **authority**!" Harley emphasized her words with hammer strikes. There was a crunch as an agent's kneecap was shattered, followed by another agents jaw.

"It's a common affliction in the criminally insane, ya see? Like me!" Harley was just having fun at this point. The last agent left tried to aim at her with his weapon. Harley put the head of the hammer to the ground and used the long handle as a pole to swing herself around, kicking the agent with both feet. The agent was out, leaving President Ellis and Harley as the last two people standing.

"Trust me! I'm a psychiatrist," Harley said as she rested the handle of the hammer across her shoulders. She wobbled to keep her balance on one leg in a way that was almost comedic. "Or was it a psychopath? So hard to keep track these days!"

President Ellis was trapped with Ivy on one side and Harley on the other. Harley smirked and put her hand on his head, forcing him to turn and look at Ivy.

"Leaving so soon, Mr. President?" said Ivy from above. "I can't find your family. They must already tucked away safe, but there's still a few meatbags out here to make an example of,"

With that, the vines lifted the victims up higher and began to squeeze. They writhed in the tight grip of the plants. Lois Lane's right arm was trapped but she held a pen in her left. Lois tried to stab the vines holding her but the outer layer was too thick for the pen to pierce through. It squeezed her tighter and the pen fell from her hand. She struggled to breathe and her vision began to fade. Just as it did, she saw a blue blur overhead.

Superman soared in overhead, taking only a split second to observe the scene. Ivy's vines had taken hold of ten people and she positioned herself in the middle of them. A quick x-ray scan showed who was most out of breath and closest to losing consciousness. He quickly prioritized them by their condition and mapped out the fastest flight path to get them out. Then he looked over to President Ellis. Unknown to most, the person they thought was the president was really a robotic facsimile made to look like an African-American male and play the role of Superman's alter-ego when he was otherwise occupied. The robot was built and controlled by the Kryptonian supercomputer, Brainiac, under Superman's instruction. Its advanced AI would make decisions and actions the same way a human would, but this situation was too high risk for it to be in the open long. These thoughts went through his mind in a fraction of a second and the blue blur never slowed.

Superman flew down and punched though a vine. It tore apart and released the person in its grasp. The head of the mutant plant monster let out a pained screech as Superman caught the falling ambassador. He flew off with them and set them down near a team of EMTs who were already on standby after having arrived with other first responders. The plant screeched more as the process repeated and Ivy yelled in pain with it. Lois was wishing she could cover her ears just as the vine holding her was broken. She let out a surprised scream and closed her eyes as the ground rushed up to meet her.

"I've got you, Ms. Lane," a familiar voice said. Lois slowly opened her eyes and saw the golden 'S' emblem of Superman on his chest. Her eyes trailed up to the face of the man himself and his reassuring smile.

"Hey! What's the big blue boy scout doing here?!" Harley yelled in panicked frustration. She watched Superman zip around, dodging the vines then grinned as if she realized something. "But if he's busy over there…he can't stop me from impeaching _you_, Prez. Impeach right over the head!"

"That…would be a bad idea," the facsimile president said. It had been looking for the best tactic to get out of this situation from the moment it started and now an opportunity presented itself.

"Yeah, yeah," Harley said uncaringly as she raised the hammer. "Just between you an' me, I didn't vote for ya. I voted for the bald guy,"

Harley was about to bring the hammer down when something stopped its mighty swing. She looked up to see a hand holding the shaft of the hammer. Harley turned her head to see the hovering form of Nubia, ambassador of Themyscira and current leader of the Justice League.

"He is correct," Nubia said, easily taking the hammer out of Harley's hands. "That was a bad idea,"

"No fair!" Harley squealed in protest as she hopped up and down, trying to reach her hammer. Nubia broke it over her knee and tossed the pieces aside. Then a golden lasso swung from her hands, wrapping Harley and pinning the criminal's arms to her sides. Harley tried to wiggle away but only managed to fall over.

Meanwhile, Superman continued to fly around the vines. With the hostages out of their grasp, Ivy tried to direct them to grab the man of steel. His flight patterns seemed random and erratic, making him difficult to stop. Ivy let out an angry yell as Superman simply stopped and winked at her. It took a moment for her to realize that all the vines were now entangled with each other. Before she had a chance to undo the knots, red laser-like beams of solar energy seared through the largest vine, holding the venus flytrap head. Acidic green ooze spilled out onto the ground as the massive plant head fell. Ivy plummeted off it and head straight down, face first until a strong hand grabbed her.

"What were you hoping to accomplish?" Superman asked while holding Ivy. He floated down to the ground, keeping a firm grip on her wrist.

"I'm making a difference, Superman!" Ivy snarled as a SWAT team approached. "For me and all the plant life you people choose to ignore!"

"I know for a fact that President Ellis has made progress in protecting the environment and increasing use of clean energy," Superman said, trying not to sound like he knew _too_ much as the SWAT team, equipped with gas masks took Ivy and cuffed her. "These displays of aggression are doing more harm than good to your cause,"

Ivy scowled but looked like she was considering what he'd said. Harley meanwhile was flown over and unceremoniously dumped on the ground by Nubia. She yelled and protested as the lasso came off and she too got cuffed. Two SWAT team members dragged Harley to a van, kicking and screaming. Nubia gave Superman a small nod and the two of them flew off together.

"Something on your mind?" Superman asked once the two were far above the rooftops.

"That's what I wanted to ask you," Nubia said. "We haven't had a chance to speak since the last League meeting and as I recall you left early. With another poor excuse,"

"I've been busy," Superman admitted. "The Alliance of Nations is progressing faster than even I expected. And you should know that keeping a secret identity is difficult, to say the least. Even if you don't have one,"

"Who says I don't?" Nubia replied playfully. "Maybe I'm better at keeping secrets than you are,"

"Maybe. But I've only told two others in the League about my identity. You and Steel,"

"What about Batman?"

"He figured it out," Superman stated, with a bitter tone. "All on his own. Besides, he's not a member of the League anymore. Not officially,"

"Are you two still not speaking to each other?"

"Please don't make it sound like some petty schoolyard spat. He knows something about the Joker's death that he isn't telling me,"

"The man is your best friend, Kalel. Or at least he was," Nubia spoke with a frown and put a hand on Superman's shoulder. "If you want answers, _you_ should go to _him_,"

"I've tried that..." Superman said defensively. "He's lied to me countless times before but not like this. His heart rate increased and there was sweat on his brow. What could Batman know that would make even him nervous?"

"You believe he's the one who killed Joker? The majority of the Justice League thinks so,"

"I...I don't know. I believe he knows who did. And I believe we should be keeping an eye on him," Superman glanced upwards as he spoke. "Just like he's keeping an eye on us,"

Approximately one thousand and two hundred miles above the heroes, a Wayne Enterprises satellite floated through space, part of the larger WayneTech Orbital Relay Communication Link network. Originally proposed as an advanced satellite network, meant to connect every corner of the globe, its true purpose was known to a select few people. Telescopic cameras installed in the satellite watched Superman and Nubia, and that image was sent through the network where it was masked and encoded until it was impossible to trace. Then it was sent to a very specific supercomputer, hidden in a cave.

* * *

**_Gotham City_**

Batman sat in a chair before the Batcomputer, tenting his fingers as he studied the conversation Superman and Nubia were having. He had his mask off, revealing the grim face of Bruce Wayne. Without audio, he had to read lips to know what was being said. His eyes narrowed when he became the topic of the conversation. When Superman looked right into the camera, for one moment Bruce thought the man of steel could see him. He rationalized that Superman was simply looking at the camera, easily finding it with his super senses. Bruce's brow furrowed at the thought.

"Looks like those two were successful," said a young voice from behind him. Bruce didn't need to turn to know his son, Damian Wayne, was standing there. "Though The Cat might use her influence to get Harley and Ivy out of trouble again,"

"Not even Selina Kyle can get them out of this," Bruce said. "They tried to kill _the president_,"

"It's a good thing Superman and Nubia were there," said a blonde haired young woman, Stephanie Brown, who joined the other two by the computer. She was noticeably out of breath as she spoke.

"Shouldn't you two be practicing the agility course?" Bruce asked, still not looking their way.

"_Tt_. As if Fatgirl could keep up with me," Damian snorted, earning an eye roll from Stephanie. "Still, superhero or no, they should have called us. Doctors Quinzel and Isley are _our_ villains. We should at least have been consulted,"

"That wouldn't have been necessary," Bruce replied, switching the screen to a satellite image of Gotham.

"Even if it was, they wouldn't have. It's like we've all been blacklisted since..." Damian had started to say something, running his hand along a scar on his left cheek as he did. He pulled his hand back as if trying to resist an old habit.

"I know what you're going to say. You made your view clear before,"

"But it isn't _fair_," Damian protested. "It isn't right..."

"Damian...enough," Bruce said, getting tense.

"Superman won't talk to you and the League turned their backs. I'm sorry, father but it's wrong and you shouldn't have to take it. You should have to deal with this because I-"

"Enough!" Bruce said sharply, turning to face Damian. There was a look of hurt and confusion on the boy's face as he fell silent. Stephanie put a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, why don't we get back to training?" she offered, trying to change topics. "You can show me how much I suck at the course,"

Damian looked down with an expression of guilt, but turned to follow her wordlessly. Bruce turned back to the computer and let out a heavy sigh when the two young heroes were out of earshot. His shoulders slumped as he felt the weight of fatherhood upon them again.

* * *

**_Metropolis_**

A flaming object plummeted down from the sky. The object was silver and had a cylindrical shape. It curved through the sky then crashed just off the coast of the city of Metropolis. The waves from the crash splashed water up on the dock and boardwalk areas. The object sank into the water and there it sat, cooling off. It went undisturbed until moments later, when a translucent giant green hand reached into the water and plucked it out.

"Here it is," Green Lantern John Stewart of Sector 2814 said as he put the object down in front of fellow Justice League member, Vixen, who was waiting on the shore.

"But _what_ is it?" Vixen wondered aloud as she walked around the object. "Looks like some kind of escape pod maybe..."

"The ring says that whatever it's made of isn't found on Earth," John said as he ran a scan on it. "Definitely synthetic. It could be alien,"

"John..." Vixen said when she got to the opposite side of the object. "Come look at this,"

Made curious by her tone, John floated down beside her. He could see a window build into the craft, giving a view of the inside. Within, a young woman lay there as if in a deep sleep. Just under the window, a symbol was etched into the craft. The familiar 'S' symbol of Superman.


	2. Chapter 2

**Earth- 23 Issue 2**

**By Calvin E. Burrell**

* * *

**_Earth 387_**

**_Ancient Japan_**

A man sat in quiet meditation atop a hill. His long black hair and red robe flowed in the summer wind. Beside him lay a katana in its' sheath and his dō, an armour plate worn on the chest. His armour bore the insignia of a dragon coiled in an 'S' shape inside a five-sided shield. The man's adoptive father had named him Hoshi, his birth father named him Kal-El, but the people called him Tekkohito, the shogun of steel. Another man came running towards him. The man wore red and ran like the wind.

"Inazuma," Tekkohito said when the man reached him. "You look nervous. Is something wrong?"

"Tekkohito, you must come quickly!" Inazuma said.

"What has happened?" Tekkohito turned to face his friend as he stood. In the blink of an eye, he donned his armour and sheath, then the two sped off.

"A portal appeared, just over our hidden base," Inazuma explained. "A man came out, a mad man of great power. He would tear up the ground, forest and structures with the wave of a hand. He brought with him an army of metal men. We couldn't make sense of what he was yelling, but he kept repeating 'Kal-El'..."

"I see him..." Tekkohito said, using his telescopic vision to see into the distance. Tekkohito suddenly picked up speed. "He's got Taka!"

Taka was dressed in an outfit decorated with feathers, symbolizing the hawks he identified with. He was currently being held in the air by an invisible telekinetic force. In the air near him was the man who attacked him. The attacker was a bald man who wore a red outfit made of an alien material. He had a blue cape and boots and on his chest was a similar symbol to the one Tekkohito wore, but smaller with a differently shaped shield. Down below, a woman dressed in black and a man dressed in green were in combat with multiple robotic, humanoid figures. The woman, Kōmori, threw bat-shaped shuriken while the man, Dokuya, rapidly fired arrows. The robots themselves were made of a red metal and their expressionless faces were coloured light blue. They wielded small staffs that fired laser blasts towards their leaping and dodging targets.

Down below, a woman dressed in black and a man dressed in green were in combat with multiple robotic, humanoid figures. The woman, Kōmori, threw bat-shaped shuriken while the man, Dokuya, rapidly fired arrows. The robots themselves were made of a red metal and their expressionless faces were coloured light blue. They wielded small staffs that fired laser blasts towards their leaping and dodging targets.

"Where is he!?" the hovering man yelled. "Bring me your Kal-El! Bring me your Superman!"

"Looking for me?" Tekkohito said as he arrived, also floating in the air. "Let him go, and we can talk,"

"Finally..." the man said, releasing the feathered man from his telekinetic grip."I've been waiting for you. Nice symbol. Much more fancy than the other guys..."

"Who are you?" Tekkohito demanded as he held his sword, ready to draw it out.

"Me? I'm the true overman. I am Übermensch," the man declared. "The _real_ Superman,"

"Okay... 'Übermensch'," Tekkohito said, wondering about the strange name. "If you've come for battle, I won't disappoint!"

Tekkohito drew his sword and Übermensch grinned.

"I think I'll just wear you down first," Übermensch said as he gestured towards Tekkohito.

"No Superman escapes the Supermanhunters!" the robots chanted in toneless voice. They turned from Kōmori and Dokuya and all rushed at Tekkohito at once. With rapid flicks of his wrist, Tekkohito used his sword to deflect the incoming laser blasts into the air and into his opponents. They took flight after him so he hovered up higher into the air, leading them away from his comrades as they attended to Taka. One Supermanhunter got close and Tekkohito plunged his sword into it, damaging the inner workings. His sword was crafted from the metal of the ship that brought him to Earth and easily cut through the robot's shell. With an upward swipe, he sliced the upper half of the robot in half. Then Tekkohito was a blur of movement and slicing. Supermanhunter limbs and heads were rapidly removed from their bodies. His eyes glowed red for a moment and a nearby robot's head exploded, sending it crashing into another.

One Supermanhunter got close and Tekkohito plunged his sword into it, damaging the inner workings. His sword was crafted from the metal of the ship that brought him to Earth and easily cut through the robot's shell. With an upward swipe, he sliced the upper half of the robot in half. Then Tekkohito was a blur of movement and slicing. Supermanhunter limbs and heads were rapidly removed from their bodies. His eyes glowed red for a moment and a nearby robot's head exploded, sending it crashing into another.

One Supermanhunter got close and Tekkohito plunged his sword into it, damaging the inner workings. His sword was crafted from the metal of the ship that brought him to Earth and easily cut through the robot's shell. With an upward swipe, he sliced the upper half of the robot in half. Then Tekkohito was a blur of movement and slicing. Supermanhunter limbs and heads were rapidly removed from their bodies. His eyes glowed red for a moment and a nearby robot's head exploded, sending it crashing into another.

"Enough!" Übermensch yelled as he flew towards Tekkohito from behind. The warrior heard him coming and turned to swipe with his sword. Übermensch ducked under it and punched Tekkohito, denting his armour. The sword was pulled out of Tekkohito's hand by a telekinetic force. Before he could grab it again, Übermensch put his hands on either side of Tekkohito's head. At that moment, the hero was assaulted by a psychic attack that felt like his mind was being torn in two. His allies could only watch helplessly from below. Dokuya readied an arrow, but his target was far out of range.

"Too easy," Übermensch said with a smirk before tapping his ear. "Uncloak the shift ship!"

Above them all, a massive floating vehicle appeared in the sky. The ship itself was nearly two kilometers long. The design was beyond advanced, beyond alien, to something else entirely. It appeared as a black and blue machine with antennae. A door opened on the underside and Übermensch carried the now unconscious Tekkohito up to it. The Supermanhunters followed behind him. Once they were all inside, the ship let off a loud sound, like a massive brass instrument, and a huge red tinted portal ripped open in front of it. Thrusters on the rear of the ship fired, sending it flying through. The portal closed with an echoing rumble and the remaining heroes could only look on at the now empty sky.

The Supermanhunters followed behind him. Once they were all inside, the ship let off a loud sound, like a massive brass instrument, and a huge red tinted portal ripped open in front of it. Thrusters on the rear of the ship fired, sending it flying through. The portal closed with an echoing rumble and the remaining heroes could only look on at the now empty sky.

* * *

**_Earth 23_**

**_Fort Superman_**

In the Arctic sat a solitary fortress made of crystal, nearly invisible to most means of detection. On this fortress was a single gold coloured door, with a large keyhole. The key that fit this lock was the size of a car and took immense strength to lift. Inside were many rooms, including living quarters, a zoo and a laboratory. All were inspired by Kryptonian design, mirroring the aesthetic of the dead world. In the laboratory was the best approximation that could be made of the technology from the science capital of Krypton, Jandra-La. Superman had studied the blueprints his birthparents had included in the rocket that brought him to Earth extensively. The technology was imperfect, and not yet ready to be shared with the world, but with help from his friends, he had been able to build most of it.

In the laboratory was the best approximation that could be made of the technology from the science capital of Krypton, Jandra-La. Superman had studied the blueprints his birthparents had included in the rocket that brought him to Earth extensively. The technology was imperfect, and not yet ready to be shared with the world, but with help from his friends, he had been able to build most of it.

Currently, that technology was analyzing the object that had landed in Metropolis the night before, and the young woman inside. Superman and Nubia stood on either side of the object, Superman observed it while Nubia observed him. Superman didn't pay attention however as his eyes were on the young woman breathing slowly in her unconscious state. Her dark skin matched his, but that wasn't the only similarity.

"You're absolutely certain?" Nubia asked, breaking the silence.

"One hundred percent," Superman said, gesturing to a nearby computer screen. "Whoever she is, her DNA is Kryptonian. At least, half of it is. The other is something unknown,"

"You realize what this means?"

"Of course, I do...I'm no longer the last Kryptonian...I need to speak with her but this pod is in the middle of some sort of medical process. She may have been injured before it landed...But I _need_ to know,"

"You need a detective," Nubia said, leading him to a point.

"Now isn't the time..." Superman said, cutting her off.

"It just might be," Nubia said, looking to the lab entrance. Superman turned his head to see Batman standing there.

"How did you get in here?" Superman demanded. Batman merely gave him a raised eyebrow in response, as if Superman were asking something he should know already.

"Of course. You're Batman," Superman sighed, stating the common platitude used to explain the feats of the seemingly mere mortal. "What are you doing here?"

"I invited him," Nubia said as Batman walked in. His cape wrapped around his entirely body, obscuring it.

"She thought you could use some help," Batman added, already studying the screen.

"I didn't ask for it, Bruce" Superman said with his arms crossed. Batman turned to say something, but Nubia stepped between them.

"Superman...Calvin," Batman started, using Superman's real name to get to him. "I know how important this is. To the world and to you. But I'm not going to get involved unless you want me to,"

"How am I supposed to _trust_ you, Bruce?" Superman asked. "A man is dead and you know why,"

"The Joker was hardly an innocent victim," Batman said. "The life he lived lead to the only possible end for him,"

"Stabbed through the chest and dumped in front of the GCPD? That's unusual, even for Gotham," Superman said, with a skeptical tone. "Your boy went missing just before it happened. There was evidence that the Joker was invol-"

"Don't," Batman interrupted him, his eyes narrowing but his stance remained unchanged. "Don't bring my son into this."

The two stared at each other before Nubia broke the silence again. "Do you accept his assistance or not, Kalel?"

Superman relented and nodded. Whatever reservations he may have, he still needed all the help he could get. Batman took a small device from his belt and plugged it into the computer. In seconds, it downloaded all the data that had been scanned.

"I'll get back to you when I have something," Batman said as he left, taking the data. Superman watched him go, frowning when he saw the dark knight's hand shaking under his black cape.

* * *

**_Dakota_**

The city of Dakota was oddly quiet. There was a somber tone over the citizenry that affected the mood of the city. None felt this more than a young woman standing before a statue of a caped man in a large park in the middle of the city. She wrapped her arms around herself, not for the cold but for the empty feeling inside. There was a crackle of electricity in the air and she didn't have to turn to know the source.

"Raquel?" said a young man who floated to the ground beside her, held aloft by an aura of electromagnetic energy around him. "Thought I'd find you here,"

"Hey, Static," Raquel said quietly, wiping her wet eyes. "Sorry I ran out on you guys,"

"It's cool. You just needed some air..." Static said. He took his large coat off and put it over Raquel's hunched shoulders, trying to warm her up.

"Can't believe it's almost been a year...Feels like it happened just yesterday..." Raquel stared up at the statue.

"Doesn't get any easier, does it?"

"No...no it doesn't," Raquel replied.

Static reached out and held Raquel's hand. She squeezed his gratefully, then turned and hugged him tightly. The tears flowed freely as she buried her face in the young man's shoulder. Static held her tightly as he looked at the base of the statue. A gold plaque commemorated the great man who had died just a block away from this spot and saved the world doing so. His name written in capital letters: ICON.

* * *

**_Earth 387_**

**_Ancient Japan_**

"How could we let this happen!?" Kōmori yelled as she slammed her fist into a wall.

"There was nothing we could do," Inazuma answered as he watched over the sleeping Taka, who was recovering from the fight with Übermensch.

"Nothing!? Our group ended the tyranny of Lord Zunou! Surely we could have defeated this man," Kōmori spat back.

"We're all angry with ourselves, Kōmori," Dokuya said, holding an arrow in his fist. "I wish I had taken that shot...but that doesn't help us now. We need to figure out what to do next,"

At that moment, there was a sound from outside. Similar to the one Übermensch's ship made but not as loud. All three heroes sped out of their hidden base to see where it came from. In the air was another ship. This one was much smaller, circular and only thirty meters long. The craft landed and a ramp descended from it. A bearded man walked down the ramp, wearing strange armour with a dark red cape on his shoulders. Taking no chances, Dokuya quickly readied an arrow while Kōmori and Inazuma drew swords.

"Stop!" Dokuya ordered. The man halted, raising his hands.

"I mean you no harm," the man said in a reassuring voice. "I am merely a traveler...of sorts. I've come after a man who calls himself Übermensch. His ship, the Zarathustra may have passed by here,"

"It did," Kōmori said. "And it took our friend with it,"

"Damn..." the traveler looked frustrated as he lowered his hands.

"What do you know of this man?" Dokuya asked, still holding the arrow.

"I know he's done this before. He travels to other worlds and takes alternate versions of the same person each time. He took my son from me..." the traveler looked to them with tired eyes.

"Other worlds...?" Inazuma asked curiously, lowering his sword.

"Yes. Some similar, some wildly different where versions of yourselves exist. Some, you might not even recognize. I'd explain more, but I have to get after Übermensch. I need to stop him," the traveler said quickly.

"Wait...I'm coming with you," Dokuya said as he put the arrow back in his quiver.

"You are?" Inazuma questioned.

"He's not," Kōmori said finally putting away her sword. "I'm going,"

"No, you and the others are needed here," Dokuya said as he stepped cautiously onto the ramp. "If this man is to be stopped, it cannot be done by one working alone. But I won't leave our...Earth, undefended,"

"Yes...strength in numbers," the traveler said. "Why didn't I think of it before? Recruiting heroes from other Earths. Brilliant,"

"Very well then," Kōmori said, clearly not happy but understanding. "We will continue to keep watch here,"

Dokuya nodded back to his allies as the man led him up the ramp.

"I am Dokuya, the poisoned arrow," Dokuya said as they reached the top."What is your name, traveler?"

"My name is Jor-El, of Earth 24601," the traveler said, offering a handshake and a smile. "Let's go save your friend,"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED... **


	3. Chapter 3

**Earth-23 #3 **

**By Calvin Burrell**

* * *

**_Earth 63_**

**_Gothamopolis_**

A dark green helicopter buzzed along quickly in the night sky. On the side, a logo was printed in white. An 'L' shape with 'LexisCorp' printed beneath it. In the helicopter, Alexis Luthor sat clutching a briefcase tightly while yelling at her blond pilot.

"Faster Marcus, she's gaining on us!" Lexis yelled as she looked out the window. As she did, she saw a flying vehicle in hot pursuit of them. It flew overhead, creating a bat shaped silhouette against the moon.

"I can't shake her!" Marcus yelled back, gripping the controls. "The Batjet is too fast!"

"Must I do _everything_ myself, Mr. Graves!?" Lexis sneered. She dropped the case in her seat and got up, turning to the back of the helicopter.

"Good thing I always come prepared..." Lexis muttered. The helicopter, though on the outside meant for business, had a hidden cache of weapons inside. With the press of a secret button, a panel opened on the rear wall, revealing a rack of guns with the LexisCorp logo on them. Lexis passed over them in favour of a highly advanced homing missile launcher. She grabbed the weapon and slid open the side doors of the helicopter.

"Keep us steady!" Lexis had to shout to be heard. Marcus steadied the flight to give her a shot. Lexis locked on target and with a smirk, she fired. Inside the Batjet, a woman in a grey and black outfit with a cape and cowl piloted: the watchful protector of Gothamopolis, Batwoman. A screen in front of her flashed a bright red warning about the incoming missile.

"Damn," was all the woman said just before impact. The blast took out her engines and the Batjet started to fall. Unfortunately for Lexis and Marcus, it was over the helicopter when it did. The Batjet slammed off the top of the helicopter, severely damaging the rotors and sending both vehicles down towards the Gothamopolis Bay. As the Batjet veered off, Batwoman entered a self destruct code into the sparking console. She was ejected out as the Batjet exploded and was instantly consumed with flame. She had eliminated any possible way to trace the Batjet back to WayneTech or to Brenda Wayne, but that still left her with the problem of falling from the sky. Though, she had a solution for that too: a bright blue blur that caught her out of the air.

"I thought bats could fly," said the figure that caught Batwoman in her arms. She wore a blue costume and her short black hair and red cape blew in the wind.

"Never heard _that_ one before, Superwoman," Batwoman said sarcastically.

"You didn't have to destroy your plane, you know. I would have caught it too," Superwoman looked over Batwoman with X-Ray vision as she spoke. There were many past injuries visible, but nothing she hadn't seen in detail before.

"I'll keep that in mind. Maybe my next crash will be less expensive. Incidentally, speaking of crashes..." Batwoman nodded towards the falling helicopter. "Go grab the thing that _doesn't_ have a glider cape,"

"Meet you by the docks, B," Superwoman said before dropping her partner. Batwoman flipped casually, having done this hundreds of times. She spread her arms out and the cape expanded like bat wings. As the dark knight glided down, the woman of steel flew over to the falling helicopter. Marcus tried to keep it in the air while Lexis screamed in his ear.

"Fly _up_! You fool! Up!" The bald businesswoman screeched as the ground got closer.

"I'm trying! Maybe we should've packed parachutes instead of guns!" Marcus said back.

Before Lexis could reprimand his insubordination, the helicopter rocked suddenly. With one arm holding onto her seat and the other clutching the briefcase, Lexis looked out the front to see what happened. Outside, Superwoman had dug her fingers into the metal frame of the helicopter as she caught it out of midair.

"You! Stop touching my property!" Lexis yelled. Superwoman ignored her as she pushed back against the path of the helicopters crash. With great strength she slowed it to a stop, and then floated down where she deposited it on the ground, near one of the piers. Batwoman emerged from the shadows just as Lexis and Marcus stumbled out. Superwoman hovered over to the shadowy woman's side.

"What are you even doing here, alien freak!?" Lexis demanded. Marcus, meanwhile, was urgently trying to pull her away from the helicopter as the flames spread. "Mrs. Freeze was supposed to stop you. You should be an ice cube by now!"

"She couldn't take the heat," Superwoman jested.

"Never mind that. Where's the briefcase, Luthor?," Batwoman interjected.

"Briefcase?" Lexis said, putting on an exaggerated innocent act as she moved away from the burning helicopter.

"Yes. The one with the evidence of your illegal weapons sales, including Victoria Fries' new suit," Batwoman growled. The briefcase contained documents and data storage devices showing the trail of what Lexis had been up to while posing as a legitimate businesswoman. Lexis' agents managed to steal the evidence before it reached the Gothamopolis Police Department and the city's protectors intended to get it back.

"Oh that?" Lexis said, now looking smug. "Seems I left it in my helicopter. And with the way it's burning, I'd say it's going to go up in three...two..."

There was a loud boom as the weapons cache inside the helicopter exploded. Lexis and Marcus ducked while Batwoman shielded herself with her cape. Just before the explosion, she felt a sudden gust of wind beside her and as she lowered the cape, she saw the burning metal wreck and Lexis standing triumphantly.

"So much for your so-called evidence," Lexis sneered. "Now it's long gone,"

"Actually..." Superwoman said as she held up the very same briefcase, looking like she hadn't moved at all. "It's right here,"

"But...how!?" Lexis sputtered.

"I've got great reflexes," Superwoman answered with a grin. "I think the GPD might want a look at this,"

"Damn you!" Lexis yelled as she flew into a rage. "I'll get you both for this! You can't keep Lexis Luthor locked up! And when I get out, I'm going t-!"

Lexis' rant was cut off by the sudden throw of a bat-shaped tranquilizer dart into her neck. Lexis groaned then fell unconscious. Marcus sighed with relief and Superwoman gave Batwoman a chiding look.

"She was done," Batwoman said flatly. Superwoman smirked and scooped the caped crusader up in her arms again. The two flew off as a squad of GPD cars arrived on scene.

_Batcave of Solitude_

Later that night, the two women stood before a large screen located in an underground cavern. Superwoman had her arms crossed as Batwoman typed something into a holographic keyboard.

"We can trust Jane Gordon with the evidence," Batwoman said, removing her mask. "She'll make sure Luthor faces justice,"

"And Freeze is already on her way to Arkham," Superwoman added, relaxing her arms. "Looks like we might actually have a quiet night to ourselves for once,"

"Doubtful," Batwoman said. "We shouldn't let our guard down,"

"Maybe..." Superwoman said as a sly smirk appeared on her face. In a blur, Batwoman found herself held in Superwoman's arms again. Not being carried, but just held.

"Dammit, Clara!" Batwoman said as her face flushed red. "Why do you keep _doing_ that?"

"I thought you liked it..." Superwoman said, the smile fading. "You don't like it?"

"I do. I just...I'd appreciate a little warning,"

"Oh?" Superwoman said, and the smile came right back. "Here's your warning. Guess what I'm about to do next?"

Superwoman lifted Batwoman a little higher, bringing their faces closer together. As their eyes met, the woman clad in armour knew exactly what her alien lover had in mind. Batwoman's arms wrapped around Superwoman's neck as she leaned up. Their lips got closer and closer together...and right then, an alarm sounded and the massive screen flashed red.

"Of course..." Superwoman sighed, settling for a quick kiss on Batwoman's cheek as she let go. Batwoman squeezed the Kryptonian's hand before pulling the mask back on and checking for what made the alert go off. She pressed a button and the face of a woman with greying hair and a terrified expression appeared on screen.

"Alice! What's going on?" Batwoman asked upon seeing the fear in her faithful butler's eyes.

"Miss Brenda, Miss Clara, I need you upstairs immediately!" Alice Pennyworth yelled. "Something just appeared in the sky. I...I don't know what it is. Some kind of craft. A mechanical army just dropped from it. They're storming the grounds!"

"We're coming!" Superwoman responded. She was about to grab Batwoman when the other heroine protested.

"Go slow them down. I need a moment to change into something more suitable,"

"The new suit? But you haven't tested...Fine," Superwoman flew upwards, out the secret cave entrance and through the Wayne Manor. At her speed, Alice seemed like a statue standing still, but otherwise unharmed. Superwoman landed on the manor grounds, facing an army of red coloured robots.

"No Superman escapes the Supermanhunters!" the robots chanted in expressionless unison.

"Super..._man_?" Superwoman muttered with a questioning look. "I think your heads need a little recalibrating. Allow me,"

Superwoman accelerated forward and punched one of the robots, leaving a fist shaped dent in its' chest as it bowled over the others behind it. One leapt up, preparing to bring both its fists down on her. Superwoman jumped up, meeting it in the air with an uppercut. She spun to her left as it fell, kicking another robot down. Superwoman planted her feet on the ground and burst forward, ploughing through the Supermanhunters like a powerful locomotive. Once there, she inhaled then blew out freezing air. The robots in front of her began to slow as they frosted over. One stopped just inches away from her, covered in a layer of ice. Superwoman flicked it with a single finger, causing it to shatter.

"No Superman escapes the Supermanhunters!" the drones chanted again as they all pulled out energy staffs. Rapid laser blasts started firing at Superwoman from all directions. They pelted her as she tried to evade them. Distracted by the incoming fire, she got tackled by a robot. She tried to stand but another and another piled on top of her. Weakened by the blasts, Superwoman could only look up as the robots that weren't pinning her down aimed in unison. Then, there was a rumble underground. A fountain on the lawn slid backwards and a platform rose out. On it was an 11 foot tall, black and grey robot with large metal fists, pointy ears and a 'V' shaped visor that glowed red.

"Get the hell off my girlfriend," Batwoman said, her voice deep and rumbling as it came out the Batmech. Missile pods emerged from the broad shoulders of the machine. Superwoman grinned as the demolition started. As the Batmech blew the Supermanhunters to smithereens, a massive ship suddenly appeared over them and a caped man in red flew out...

* * *

**_Earth 23_**

**_Washington D.C._**

"I'm just saying, you should consider my proposal. Especially now," Doctor John Henry Irons implored.

"I _have_ considered it," U.S. President Calvin Ellis replied. "And I've given you my answer,"

"Meta-terrorism is becoming a larger threat. You _just_ had supervillains on the White House lawn. The country needs the Steel Service. An entire army of artificially intelligent androids, capable of round-the-clock surveillance that will never need to sleep or eat,"

"I've heard the pitch and seen the designs before, but I'm not comfortable with trusting our nation's security to unmanned drones. The Justice League is more than enough,"

"You and I both know that the League can be beaten. Today of all days should be a reminder,"

President Ellis frowned at Dr. Irons' last statement as he glanced out a window at the morning sun that filled the Oval Office with light. It cut especially deep given what happened a year ago on this day. Several buildings in Dakota damaged and the superhero Icon being killed by a kryptonite powered enemy meant for Superman. His intercom then chirped, to the surprise of both of them.

"Yes, Courtney?" President Ellis said, as he pressed a button on the device and addressed his personal assistant on the other side of the call.

"The newest member of your security team just arrived, Mr. President," Courtney said. "I'd like you to meet him, if you have a minute,"

"Send him in," Calvin answered. Dr. Irons gave him a quizzical look that the president could only respond to with a half shrug. Apparently, he didn't know anything about this either. Courtney entered the office, wearing a purple blouse with a black skirt. With her was a man in a grey suit with dark sunglasses over his eyes. Calvin got up to meet the man and Dr. Irons was right behind him.

"Given the recent situation, I thought it would be a good idea to have someone with metahuman expertise on your security detail," Courtney explained, already knowing what was on the President's mind. "Mr. Slows here is a specialist in the field. Not to mention a combat expert,"

"You sound like you know a thing or two about taking necessary precautions," Dr. Irons said to Courtney, hoping Calvin would get the point.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr...Slows, was it?" President Ellis said, knowing full well what the doctor was up to.

"Call me Daniel," the man said, in a gruff but polite voice. "You're in good hands, Mr. President,"

"I feel safer already," Calvin said as he shook Daniel's hand.

* * *

**_Earth 63_**

**_Gothamopolis_**

The entire legion of Supermanhunters had been defeated, but the battle raged on. Batwoman wrestled with the controls of her Batmech as a telekinetic force sent it skidding along the ground, tearing up grass and dirt. It came to a stop and sparked from the left side, where the arm was missing. She tried to reboot the failing machine as the unconscious form of Superwoman was lifted in the air by the telekinetic man who introduced himself as Übermensch. With a grunt, Batwoman kicked off the damaged metal plating on the front of the Batmech and scrambled out. She took the grapple gun from her belt and fired upwards but Übermensch and Superwoman were already out of range.

"Nooo!" Batwoman screamed in frustration and anger as she fell to her knees. Superwoman was carried into the ship and sealed inside. A red portal large enough to fit the massive vehicle opened in front of it and before the dark knight could stop it, the ship flew through and disappeared. Batwoman was left on her own amongst the wreckage of the robotic army she and Superwoman had decimated. Alice came out of the manor, walking around the debris to reach her. For a moment, nothing was said. Then another portal appeared. This one was much smaller than the last, as was the ship that came out of it. Batwoman stood, tightly clenching her gloved fists. The ship touched down amid the robot parts and a door opened. Batwoman stormed forward as two men came out. One seemed to be an archer, the other wore armour.

"Where is she?" Batwoman demanded with anger simmering in her tone.

"She? Oh, right, of course. Alternate universe. It's entirely possible fo-" the armoured back began to talk but Batwoman had her hand about his throat in what seemed like a blink.

"Tell me," Batwoman said. "Now!"

"Hm. An entirely different world, with yet another woman dressed as a bat," the archer commented with a somewhat amused expression.

"If you'd just let me explain...My name is Jor-El and this is Dokuya. We know what happened here," Jor-El tried to speak with the armoured glove on his neck. Batwoman slowly let go, but didn't back off.

"Thanks," Jor-El said as he inhaled. "This is going to be hard to believe but, we're from alternate versions of your world. Different Earths that- "

"I'm aware of the concept," Batwoman said impatiently. "But that doesn't answer my question,"

"Well, I'm guessing you met Übermensch. He's been bouncing across Earths, kidnapping the same person, but in alternate realities. I've been trying to stop him but so far I've always been two steps behind. Actually, we could probably use your help. If you're willing to join us,"

Batwoman glared at them both, but could tell Jor-El was speaking the truth. Even if he wasn't, his ship was the only thing she knew of that was capable of opening that portal again.

"Then we shouldn't waste anymore time," She said and pushed past both of them and walked up the ramp with her cape about herself. Dokuya and Jor-El followed her in and the ship door closed behind them. The ship hummed to life and took off, blowing bits and pieces of robots even further around the manor grounds. Alice looked on as it flew through a portal, both worried for the woman she had helped raise and irritated about the mess she left behind.

* * *

**_Earth 63_**

**_Fort Superman_**

The pod that had crash landed in Metropolis still sat in the fortress. It had seemed dormant from the outside, but the inside was another story. A young woman lay in there and her eyelids began to twitch. The pod let off a hissing sound and the front began to slide back. The young woman opened her eyes and the first thing her blurry vision saw was a bright light above her, then the tall muscular form of Nubia that stood beside her.

"Relax, you're safe," Nubia said as the woman tried to sit up and gently put a hand on her shoulder. "My name is Nubia. What is yours?"

"It...it's Kiera," the young woman said, as though struggling to remember. "My name is Kiera..."

* * *

**TBC...**


End file.
